I have fallen in love with making my own everything! Seriously, if there's a recipe for it online I'm going to try to make it. Soap, lip balm, whipped body lotion, candles, toner, scented cleaning vinegar, deodorant, and the list goes on and on and on! I've always had fun making new things but since I've started working for The Refillery my interest in the DIY recipes has blossomed! Then a few months ago I was introduced to Simply Earth, an essential oil subscription box that comes complete with recipe cards!! Could it get any better? The only downfall to weekend DIY-fests is running out of or not having the right ingredients. That's what lead me to make this complete list of raw ingredients every DIYer needs at all times. I'll share my favorite places to shop below also if you're looking to add any of these ingredients to your DIY closet. Links in this post contain referral links that help support this blog. Coconut Oil - 100% pure unrefined cold pressed coconut ... [ Read More ]
Glycerine Soap & Essential Oils
This month's Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box just arrived and it's SO.MUCH.FUN! Each month Simply Earth sends subscribers a set of essential oils, recipes cards, and fun accessory items to make the recipes. As an ambassador they are so sweet to send me a complimentary box to share the recipes and contents with you. In the process, I have fallen in love with essential oils! This month's theme is soap making! Inside the box are 3 full size essential oils, a smaller essential oil, aloe glycerine soap base, and a silicone soap mold. Plus six recipe cards!! If you use coupon code BACKTOCALLEYFREE you’ll get a bonus $40 gift certificate when you subscribe to their monthly subscription box. To learn more: http://bit.ly/2XfM77e (referral link) My favorite recipe this month is the Happy Joy Facial Soap. It was super simply and only took a few minutes to make a fancy bar of homemade soap! Happy Joy Facial Soap: 1.5 oz Glycerine Soap Base6 drops of Happy Joy ... [ Read More ]
Simply Earth August Unboxing *Spoilers*
I just received my August (2019) Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box and wanted to reveal the goodies inside! As a member of their Squad ambassador team Simply Earth sent me the box for free AND they have provided me with a coupon code for you! If you use coupon code BACKTOCALLEYFREE you’ll get a bonus $40 gift certificate when you subscribe to their monthly subscription box. To learn more: http://bit.ly/2XfM77e (referral link) I'm learning more and more about Essential Oils and how to safely use them thanks to their fun subscription box and website. They even have a FREE ebook; Essential Oils for Beginners, that is packed full of useful information, dilution guides, and tips for using essential oils with children and pets. It's such a great resource. Want to see what's in the August Essential Oil Recipe Box by Simply Earth?? Inside the August Recipe Box you'll find: -Clear Skin Essential Oils Blend-Frankincense Essential Oils-Rosemary Essential Oils-Clove ... [ Read More ]
Natural Slime Recipe with Psyllium Husk Powder
Post contains affiliate links. A few weeks ago I received a new essential oil subscription box from Simply Earth AND their bonus box. They asked me to join their #squad and share my experiences with you about their program. I've owned several different essential oils over the years but I've never gotten into all the brand oil clubs. Honestly, I'm just now starting to learn how to safely use these oils and incorporate them into some fun DIY recipes around the house. If you'd like to see what's included in the Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box (and big bonus box) click over using this referral link: http://bit.ly/2XfM77e. If you use coupon code BACKTOCALLEYFREE you'll get a bonus $20 gift certificate! If your kids love making slime like my kids do, they will LOVE this recipe! This recipe does require heating the ingredients so make sure a parent helps and make sure you let this cool down for at least 20 minutes before letting your kids play with it. It gets very hot!! ... [ Read More ]
My Creativity This Week – Episode 1: Funky Florals
Are you a creative person? Do you struggle with finding your inner creative spirit? Sit there staring at the blank canvas or journal page wondering what you'll work on next? This series is something new to me where I'll share what I'm working on this week. I feel like my creative spirit is ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE and I'm always trying something new each week. That doesn't have to be a bad thing because it's broadening your inner creativity. This week I've been working on Funky Florals. One of my favorite Instagram creatives to follow is Megan (@MakeWells) and her awesome Funky Florals. I love the bright colors and the use of mixed media in her work. I love that she works on canvas, paper, wood, walls, and more! She is seriously inspiring to follow. View this post on Instagram I’m thoroughly convinced that I will never run out of ways to paint flowers. The possibilities are just endless people! I may have a ... [ Read More ]
Give the Gift of Awesome Photos
I am a "Picture Play" affiliate and earn a commission when you order through my links in this post. Have you ever wanted to take better pictures with your iPhone or Android? Did you know that there are a few free or low cost (like less than $5) apps that can make your regular iPhone pictures 10X better? It's possible with some of the tips that Jill Krause (and Happy Loud Life) shares in her new Picture Play ebook. I have a fancy DSLR that I bought a few years ago and kinda learned how to use, but it's so big and bulky that I never take it with me. I'm really happy with the overall quality of photos from my iPhone 8+ but it doesn't always take perfect photos. Sometimes they are too dark, or too light, or there are things in the background that are distracting. This is one of the photos I took a few years ago with my DSLR. It showed up in my memories this week so I thought I'd try to edit it again using the tricks in Picture Play. Look closely behind her head, in the new version I ... [ Read More ]
Under the Sea Coloring Pages
Color with me!! I've created a new set of coloring pages full of some of my favorite sea life characters. This is a set that I've been working on for months and I'm so excited about how it turned out!! PS: The whale sharks are my absolute favorite. The set includes 7 different pages that you can print from home on 8.5" x 11" paper. The great thing is that you can print the files over and over again anytime you like! Do you enjoy coloring? Do your kids? Do you color in your classroom or when you have spare time in clubs? I use these mostly in the evenings when I want to force myself to put my phone down and do something creative with my kids. My daughter is my little artist and loves to color and create so it's the perfect activity for the two of us. We don't get many evenings when we're not bombarded with homework, sports, or clubs. Here's a sample of the pages that you'll get in the download: ... [ Read More ]
FREE Sweet & Sassy Holiday Gift Tags (Printable)
Are you sweet? or are you Sassy? Either way, I've created some fun gift tags that coordinate with my newest planner download. Introducing a FREE printable download; the Sweet & Sassy Gift Tags. While some of the sayings are seasonal; some can be used all year long! The gift tag file is a PDF file that prints 8.5" x 11" in size. The page has all 8 of the gift tags; each one measuring 3.75" tall x 2 1/4" wide with rounded corners. You can print them on copy paper, card stock, or even directly to sticker paper! While I cut mine with a small paper cutter, you could easily cut them using your Cricut or Silhouette machines. I'll use a standard (or larger) hole punch for the circle when I'm ready to add them to my packages. How do you plan on using yours? I'd love to see pictures of them in use, be sure to tag @BackToCalley #Printables when you post on social media so that I can see them!! To download your free copy, please sign up for my email newsletter list below: Note: ... [ Read More ]
2019 Planner | Printable or Digital Versions Available
I did a thing!! I created a 2019 printable and digital planner!! You can find this planner in my Etsy shop as a digital download! Where did 2018 go? I cannot believe we're almost halfway through December and 2019 is just around the corner. I was organizing my desk this weekend and realized that I needed a new 2019 planner. This year I've placed with several different planner options and found a few that are really helpful. I'm not a big spender when it comes to planners and can't stomach a $30-40 planner (or more with all the extra options and accessories). They are incredibly beautiful but I fear that I wouldn't use them enough or the right way. Sure there's no "wrong way" to use a planner, but it would likely get set aside and forgotten after a few months. What has worked for me? iPhone Calendar Apps For important events, appointments, and scheduling I still rely heavily on my native iPhone and Google calendar apps. I can sync them together and share them with other ... [ Read More ]
What Are You Thankful For?
How is it that Thanksgiving is NEXT week? This year is flying by so quickly that I can hardly keep up. My kids just keep growing, life keeps moving, and our schedules keep getting crazier and crazier! If you don't follow me on Instagram you may have missed a few of the recent things going on our in our lives. Like.... My daughter is a Junior Girl Scout this year and is really blossoming into a wonderful leader. My son is 15, learning to drive, got his first job, and opened his first bank account. My latest doodles and designs; like the one shown above!! It's hard for me to get excited about Thanksgiving; which really isn't any different from any other year. This is the most hectic time of year for our family and for my job. We host a huge Black Friday weekend sale and it's very time consuming and exhausting to plan; however it's a great reward when the weekend arrives and our customers flock to our store looking for deals!! My "work day" on Black Friday actually starts ... [ Read More ]